Molecule Factory

Giant clouds of gas and dust ripple across the sky in this multi-wavelength image of the center of the Milky Way galaxy, which is about 27,000 light-years away. One of the most impressive clouds, which glows bright orange near the center of the image, is Sagittarius B2. It is giving birth to new stars, which are helping to create a chemist's delight of molecules, including some that are key building blocks for life. [ESO/APEX & MSX/IPAC/NASA]